Three-dimensional optical data storage in fluorescent dye-doped photopolymer

US7052812B1Inactive Publication Date: 2006-05-30RGT UNIV OF CALIFORNIA
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2006-05-30
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

A host matrix—normally a binder such as cellulose acetate propionate in a solvent such as acetone—contains a radiation-polymerizable photopolymer—normally a monomer like dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate in combination with a crosslinker like 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone, an initiator like N-phenyl glycine, and / or a photosensitizer like camphor quinone—that is initially uniformly doped with a stable dye—typically Rhodamine B and / or Bodipy Red—that photoinitiates photopolymerization. Upon selective exposure of certain regions of the matrix by radiation, most normally laser light radiation, the dye will initially migrate and redistribute itself to radiatively-exposed regions until, dye migration being substantially complete, photopolymerization will occur, locking the migrated dye in place at a relatively higher concentration at the selectively exposed regions. The dye therein stably located can be optically detected by, preferably, light-radiation-stimulated fluorescence. The medium thus serves as an optical memory, including of the volume type, that can be reliably permanently written quickly and inexpensively at high density.
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Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present patent application is related to, and claims priority from, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 129,989 filed Apr. 12, 1999, for THREE-DIMENSIONAL OPTICAL MEMORY IN FLUORESCENT DYE-DOPED PHOTOPOLYMER to the selfsame inventors as is the present application. The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 547,396, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,571 filed on an even date for THREE-DIMENSIONAL HOLOGRAPHIC STAMPING OF MULTI-LAYER BIT-ORIENTED NON-LINEAR OPTICAL MEDIA, also to the same inventors. The content of the related patent application is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally concerns optical data storage, optical memories, polymers, multi-layer optical storage, and volume, or 3-D, optical data storage.

[0004] The present invention particularly concerns the radiation writing of monolithic multi-layer optical...

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Embodiment Construction

[0070]Although specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and are merely illustrative of but a small number of the many possible specific embodiments to which the principles of the invention may be applied. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention as further defined in the appended claims.

1. A New Monolithic, Multi-Layer Optical Media

[0071]The new monolithic, multi-layer optical media of the present invention has advantages over other new storage technologies in terms of ease of recording and readout, while sharing the same characteristics of very high density, fast access time, and parallel readout capability. The active portion of the media is a photopolymer—similar to that used for other volume optical media—which has in addit...